Visceral fat
By Dr Megan Chircop, 11/30/2016
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Visceral fat is the fat which is inside the abdominal cavity. You can’t feel it, but you can tell it’s there because the belly is often bulging and tense.
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This does not refer to the fat that is sitting on the outside of the abdominal cavity and overlying the abdominal muscles, which is called subcutaneous fat. Interestingly, from an aesthetic perspective, people are often more concerned with subcutaneous fat than visceral fat (as this obscures the “abs”). However, from a health perspective, they should be more concerned about visceral fat.
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Visceral fat accumulates throughout life, particularly in males. Female sex hormones tend to promote fat deposition peripherally, especially over the buttocks and thighs (and also the breasts, but to a variable extent among different individuals). However, after menopause, females start to accumulate their fat more centrally, and visceral fat can become an issue.
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Greater than normal amounts of visceral fat are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia, cataracts – and that is adjusted for body mass index (that is, your weight might be normal for your height, but if your waist-line is bulging then you might have increased visceral fat, and are at increased risk of developing the aforementioned conditions). Some studies recommend that waist-to-hip ratio not exceed 0.8 for women or 0.95 for men, whilst other studies recommend that the waist circumference be kept under 40 inches (about 100 cm) for males and 34.5 inches (about 88 cm) for females. Another study recommended that people should be even more stringent and limit waist circumference to 82 cm in women and 91 cm in men.
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The good news is that visceral fat is much easier to shrink than subcutaneous fat. The sorts of strategies you can employ to reduce visceral fat levels include: calorie deficit (either by eating less with appropriate meal planning or moving more (at home or at the gym), but better if you do both); avoid over-consumption of fats in your diet (no more than 40% of your daily calorie intake, and no less than 20% of your daily calorie intake; replace saturated fats (usually sourced from meat, eggs and dairy) with unsaturated fats (found in vegetable oils such as olive oil, as well as nuts).
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Tracking your progress is pretty straightforward – just measure your “tight waist circumference” daily and averaging it out over the week, then watch for changes over the course of the weeks. If it has been more than 2 weeks since the average tight waist circumference has changed, then you need to either move more or eat less.
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Our personalised meal plans are calorie-controlled, with appropriate amounts of unsaturated fats. We help monitor your progress and adjust your meals / recipes as required, to help you achieve and maintain your body goals.
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The Body Sculptors Australia team prides itself on developing nutritious recipes that are absolutely delicious. You will wonder why you have not eaten like this your whole life when food tastes this good.
Our mission is to help as many people as possible achieve their ideal healthy, lean and active body to have confidence and happiness in their everyday lives.
Our personalised meal plans will teach you ...
*how much food YOUR BODY needs to achieve optimal health and energy
*how to turn healthy food in to delicious meals
... its easy...
we do all the thinking and calculations for you (to take the stress out of every day),
all you need to do is follow the plan!
Our mission is to help as many people as possible achieve their ideal healthy, lean and active body to have confidence and happiness in their everyday lives.
Our personalised meal plans will teach you ...
*how much food YOUR BODY needs to achieve optimal health and energy
*how to turn healthy food in to delicious meals
... its easy...
we do all the thinking and calculations for you (to take the stress out of every day),
all you need to do is follow the plan!
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Understanding portion sizes
Reduce your waistline with these low-salt versions of your favourite recipes
When appetite does not work properly – part 1
Lose weight and be healthy without feeling hungry
Recipes from all cuisines to suit all cultures and tastes to achieve your weight loss goals
The secret to eating for weight loss
Cranberry coconut bliss balls
Carbohydrates - how much to have?
Take control of your food cravings for good
